The US labor market showed continued flux as employers submitted 442 WARN Act notices in November 2018, putting at risk an estimated 35,125 workers — down from October and down 9% versus November 2017. Filings came from 35 states and territories, with an average of 79 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 112 | 5,961 |
| Texas | 43 | 4,107 |
| New York | 46 | 3,128 |
| Florida | 23 | 2,696 |
| New Jersey | 11 | 1,671 |
| Minnesota | 21 | 1,438 |
| North Carolina | 9 | 1,357 |
| Ohio | 10 | 1,197 |
| Illinois | 12 | 1,161 |
| Michigan | 21 | 1,130 |
| Iowa | 10 | 1,042 |
| Georgia | 6 | 912 |
| Maryland | 14 | 882 |
| South Carolina | 3 | 870 |
| Rhode Island | 7 | 851 |
| Mississippi | 5 | 716 |
| Wisconsin | 8 | 666 |
| Idaho | 3 | 525 |
| Connecticut | 6 | 512 |
| Pennsylvania | 7 | 499 |
| Tennessee | 4 | 438 |
| Virginia | 4 | 407 |
| Kansas | 7 | 405 |
| Arizona | 2 | 359 |
| Missouri | 2 | 354 |
| Oregon | 6 | 318 |
| Kentucky | 7 | 285 |
| Nevada | 5 | 273 |
| Indiana | 2 | 262 |
| Vermont | 3 | 158 |
| South Dakota | 2 | 134 |
| Washington | 2 | 134 |
| Maine | 8 | 116 |
| Nebraska | 10 | 86 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 75 |
California led the nation with 5,961 workers affected across 112 notices , followed by Texas (4,107 workers) and New York (3,128 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | 39 | 3,699 |
| Manufacturing | 27 | 2,009 |
| Information & Technology | 13 | 1,360 |
| Retail | 11 | 1,160 |
| Transportation | 17 | 1,134 |
| Finance & Insurance | 22 | 1,028 |
| Accommodation & Food | 8 | 923 |
| Other | 10 | 636 |
| Agriculture | 5 | 629 |
| Wholesale Trade | 3 | 479 |
The Healthcare sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 3,699 workers across 39 notices. Separately, Manufacturing reported 2,009 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 89 | 7,957 |
| Layoff | 68 | 7,021 |
Closures accounted for 23% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABM Industries | Newark, New Jersey | 821 | |
| Ovations Fanfare, L.P. dba Spectra Food | Oakland, California | 763 | Closure |
| Ihg | North Charleston, South Carolina | 626 | Closure |
| Pyxus International, Inc. (f/k/a Alliance One Internternational, Inc.) | North Carolina | 565 | Layoff |
| West Coast Berry Farms, LLC | Salinas, California | 465 | Layoff |
| Wells Fargo | West Des Moines, Iowa | 418 | Layoff |
| Wells Fargo | West Des Moines, Iowa | 418 | |
| Cisco Systems, Inc | San Jose, California | 405 | Layoff |
| Alorica | Beaumont, Texas | 367 | |
| Alorica | Beaumont, Texas | 367 |
Topping the list was ABM Industries in Newark, New Jersey, reporting 821 affected workers. Ovations Fanfare, L.P. dba Spectra Food followed with 763 workers.
These figures highlight a easing in workforce disruptions across the nation, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. The Healthcare sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in November 2018. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is sourced from official state filings and updated daily by WARN Firehose. Download the full dataset or explore state-by-state data.
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